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Addiction/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A school bell rings, and Tim leaves the school building. Moby is outside waiting for him. The two start to walk home when they spot two students smoking cigarettes behind the school building. MOBY: Beep. TIM: I don't know. They think it's cool or something? Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, what is addiction? From, kJay. An addiction is defined as the inability to stop a behavior no matter how harmful or dangerous it may be. The behavior can be anything from risk-taking to playing video games, but addiction usually refers to a dependence on drugs or alcohol. Images show a skateboard, video game controller, marijuana leaf with a syringe, and alcohol. MOBY: Beep. TIM: A drug is really any substance that affects the functions of your body. An illustration shows the inside of a human body, including the brain, heart, and circulatory system. TIM: Prescription drugs are used by doctors to help fight diseases and relieve pain. An image shows number of capsules. TIM: Even those can be abused, but there are drugs that are made to be abused. You've heard about these: marijuana or pot, cocaine, heroin, crack, ecstasy, and so on. A series of images shows the illegal drugs Tim names. The word, Dangerous, appears in large print over the images. TIM: Like prescription drugs, these drugs change the way your body operates. The results can be unpredictable, dangerous, and addictive. An image shows a spiral pattern within the outline of a body, indicating the body isn’t working correctly. TIM: If a drug is physically addictive, it means two things. First of all, people who keep using that drug will need more and more of it to get the same effect. This is called building tolerance. Images of cigarettes appear and rapidly pile up. TIM: And second, suddenly stopping the drug will lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, in less dangerous drugs like caffeine, those symptoms might just be headaches, irritability, and trouble sleeping. An image shows a cup of coffee. Smaller images show a woman with a headache, an angry man, and a man lying awake in bed. TIM: But in harder drugs, like opiates, withdrawal can lead to serious fevers, muscle spasms, vomiting, and in severe cases, even death. An image shows a bottle an open bottle of pills and a syringe. Smaller images illustrate the withdrawal symptoms that Tim describes. TIM: Most drugs that are physically addictive are psychologically addictive, too. That means they're hard to quit because they make their user feel good. Even if someone is only psychologically addicted to a drug, it can be just as hard for them to stop using it. Any drug addiction can really mess with your life. An image shows a profile in silhouette. The person swallows a drink and the brain becomes visible. Small lights flash at different spots within the brain. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, any time you take a drug just for fun, it's called substance abuse. Substance abuse becomes addiction when you take the drug not because you want to, but because you need it. Addicts feel they have no choice in abusing a drug. They'll often lie or steal to get it. An image shows a man looking longingly at a bottle of prescription pills. TIM: Their whole lives can end up revolving around getting high. Images show a young person smoking pot in his bedroom at four different times during the day. TIM: And besides all the health risks you take from abusing drugs, they mess up other parts of your life, too. Addicts can have trouble thinking clearly and making good decisions, and that affects their performance in school, sports, relationships, and just about everything they do. An image shows the same young person sitting alone in his room and staring sadly. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Fortunately, there are warning signs you can look for if you suspect someone you care about is addicted to drugs or alcohol. These include mood swings, withdrawal from family and friends, changes in weight, trouble with schoolwork, and loss of interest in hobbies or other activities. Images show a happy and sad face, the silhouettes of a man and woman, a scale, a stack of books, a soccer ball and guitar. TIM: If you, a friend, or a family member have a substance abuse problem, you should definitely talk about it with an adult you trust. An animation shows a student talking to two teachers. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Me? What do you mean? MOBY: Beep. TIM: My comic book collection? That's not an addiction. He holds a pile of comic books tightly to his chest. TIM: I can stop whenever I want. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Health Transcripts